Method and means for converting oil-burning furnaces to coal-burning ones



1944- M. H. GARFUNKLE 1 9, 3

. METHOD AND MEANS FOR CONVERTING OIL-BURNING FURNACES TO COAL-BURNING ONES Filed Oct. 17, 1942 ,2 Sheets-Sheet 1 iflw ATTORNEY 1 M. H. GARFUNKLE 2,359,635

METHOD AND MEANS FOR CONVERTING OIL-BURNING FURNACES TO COAL-BURNING ONES Filed Oct.- 17,1942 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Y: I 1 j I ATTORNEY Patented Oct. 3, 1944 METHOD AND MEANS FOR- CONVERTING OlL-BURNING FURNACES BURNING ONES TO COAL- Morris H. Garfunkle, Newark, N. J.

Application October 17, 1942, Serial No. 462,326 3 Claims. (01. 126 1'7.6)

, wall approximately one inch below the low-water This invention relates to means for converting oil-burning furnaces or boilers to coal-burning ones.

In the past few years many coal-burning furnaces or boilers havebeen revamped for the purpose of using oil. Now with the shortage of oil a, large number of these furnaces or boilers must be reconverted to use coal. In many cases this presents a considerable problem for the reason that I have found, in making contacts with these installations, that in 80% to 90% of the first conversion the ash-pit door frame of the furnace or boiler was removed and the ash pit reconstructed to accommodate at least parts of the oil burner mechanism, and other changes made so that standard grate bars, if not thrown away or junked, cannot be used in the reconversion.

To meet these and other dilficulties, I have worked out an arrangement which will allow reconversion of furnaces or boilers of difierent makes and sizes from oil-burning back to coalburning at a minimum cost of material and labor.

My plan or process of reconversion of oil-burning furnaces or boilers to burning coal is ex-' emplified in the annexed drawings wherein:

Figure 1 is a view on a reduced scale of the front of a boiler showing the same after conversion to burning coal has been made.

Figure 2 is a view on an enlarged scale on the line 2--2 of Figure l.

Figure 3 is a plan view of the the line 33 of Figure 2.

Figure 4 is a View on the line 4-4 of Figure 3.

Figure 5 is a view on the line 5-5 of Figure 3.

Figure 6 is a fragmentary View showing one of the conversion steps as applied to a grate bar.

Figure '7 is a fragmentary view of one end of a grate bar showing a further step in the conversion process.

Figure 8 is a fragmentary view of one end of a grate bar rest, illustrating part of one of the conversion steps.

Figure 9 shows a modified form of grate rest support.

Figure 10 shows a further modified form of supporting the grate rests.

In the drawings wherein like numbers referto corresponding parts, I illustrates generally a furnace which has been converted from oil to burning coal. In making this conversion it is to be understood of course that the oil burner is removed from the furnace. Fire bricks 2 are first installed on two sides and the rear of the ash pit as shown in Figure 3. I have found itgood practice to have the height of this fire brick installation on leg or portion of the furnace or boiler. After the fire wall has been built, a pair of grate-bar supports or rests 3 and 4 are positioned at the rear and front portion of the ash pit as shown in Fig-- ure 3. Each grate rest is provided with a plurality of lugs 5 forming rests 6 for receiving the bearing ends I and 8 of the grate bars. The forward portion 8 of each grate bar is preferably circular and at each end of this portion 8 there are provided annular collars 9 and II] to properly locate the grate bar over the ash pit.

In Figure 3 I have shown six grate side of the central bar portion I2. Each grate is understood that the grate bars and grate bar rests are made of cast iron.

,After the hole I3 has been drilled, as indicated,

the end portion l4 may be readily broken off. If. necessary, the'small part 15 left on the portion I6, which now becomes an end support for thev grate rest, may be ground off with a portable.

electric grinder. If the grate bars themselves are too long, they may be readily shortened as indicated in Figures 6 and 7. This is done by drilling a hole I! through the main bar l2 at the neces sary distance from the rear end of the grate bar. Then to provide a rest portion 1 for engaging the seat 6 in the grate rest, two teeth l8, shown in.

dotted lines in Figure '7, may be readily broken off the central rib or body portion 12 of the grate bar, thereby giving a support end corresponding to I in Figure 6, it being understood that the longitudinal spacing of the teeth 18 along the bar I2 is such that when two oppositely disposed pairs, shown by the dotted line I8, are broken off, the necessary support portion 1 is obtained.

It is to be noted that the bars l2, forming the backbone of the grate bars, have a cross-section similar to that shown in Figures 6 and '7 so that the forward projecting ends I9, which extend beyond the front of the furnace, are each adapted to receive a shaker bar. If these extending portions l9 are found to be too long, they may be' cut off as indicated by the dotted line 20in the bars which are of standard size, each having twenty-two wings or teeth H extending laterally from each in width, and the space between the oppoa same manner as illustrated and described with respect to Figure 6.

In some furnaces or boilers it may be found necessary to install a front plate 2| as indicated in Figure 1. This plate has clearance holes 22 for the ends IQ of the grate bars, and this clearance is sufiicient so as to allow the ends of the grate bars to be. lifted up a distance in the recesses 6 soaswto release a piece of coal or coke which may be wedged between the grate teeth. Furthermore, the inner annular flange ll] of each grate bar coacts with a flanged portion 23 on the forward grate rest to givea-shea'ring action against any piece of coal or-cokethat may tendtolbecome wedged at this point. Due to the flanged portions 23' on the grate rest 4; spaces or recesses are provided between the flanges 23 which :protrude into close juxtapositionto thecollars I0, thereby allowing a space for the porrtions of the coal or coke that are sheared ofi by the rotating action of the collars- |0-- to pass these broken-up pieces down into the ash box;

instead of becoming wedged in the narrowspace' between the inner" edge of thegrate-restd and the outer teeth H of the grate bars--if -'these re-- cesses were not provided;

After the grate bars havebeen installed asheretofore described,the front end of the ashbit is closed up with fire-brick'fl and atthesame time an ash door 25; carrying a draft-shutter 26-, is installed by suitable hinged'-supportsat-- tached to the masonry or fire brick 24;- shutter- 26 is held in any adjusted position by apawl-32 which is adapted'to engage notches 33' cast in the door'25'. The shutter-26 maybe operated by any suitablemeans attachedlug- 34 on the shutter.

' Instead of supporting thegrate rests- 3 and 4-" on the top of theside" brickwall as shown in Figure 3, they maybe supported on short pipe sections 21, each of which hasa bottom support flange 28 and a support plate-29"' to which theend of the grate rest-3 or 4 is fastened as by a bolt 30 asp-shown in Figure 9 yor theends ofthe. grate rests may" be-f'astenedto an angle bracket 31*attached to theside of the furnace l as shown" in Figure 10. Furthermore, while" reference has been made tothe' useofyplate 2|; the masonry 24 may be built up; around the'shaker ends I91 of the grate bars, leaving, of course, clearance holes'22, andwherein the claimsI have referred to an ash-pit door; this means both the frame and the door and directly associated parts.v

Fromth'e'foregoing it isto beunderjstoodfihatf certain of the minor details and' steps may be varied without departing from the substance of my improved construction and conversitint process. It will also be understood that in changing. the length of the grate bars'andi their supports,

as described, the parts that are brokenlofifai-e not. wasted as they are returned to. the foundry and" recast with other parts.

I have found,v from actual contact with other means now being, offered onithe market,., that the.

parts and methods of procedure set forth int/the foregoing description are-not only avvery, cheap. and'economical arrangement; buta highly sa-tisfactory conversion means for transforming present oil-burning furnaces. or boilers to coal,

burners.

What I claim-is: j

1. The=process of conversion asherein set forth which consists inrebuilding a; newash-pit chame ber, placing support means within the ash-pit The chamber for grate rests, providing grate rests which may be longer than the length required for the particular furnace, said grate rests having lugs to receive grate bar ends, removing some of the metal at a selected place adjacent the ends of the grate rests for shortening the grate rests, if necessary, to give the desired lengths of the rests, and then, breaking off theseend sections at the places where the metal hasabeen removed, then placing one of these rests on the front support parts and another on the rear support parts, providing grate bars each having a central rib or body portion-withwings or teeth laterally froml eac'hjside of said central portion, removing some'of'the metal from the central rib at a selected place: adjacent the ends of the bars for r tea the desired length of' bars, and then breaking off these end sections at the places where the metal has been removed, also breaking off teeth from thegrate bars if necessary and then placing-these toothed grate barsacrosssaid rests insaid lugs: for rotation thereon and installing a new ash pit door where the oil burner entered the old combustion chamber, and afron-t-closure plate having clearance holes for fitting over the shaker ends of the grate bars. 7

2. Means for convertingoil-burning furnaces or boilers, having'a'space'adapted for-anash pit and into which an oil burner extended; to coal burners, said meansincludingan ash pit composed of fire bricks on at least two side and one rear wall of the adaptable ash-pitspace; grate rests-mounted on saidside bricks at-the front 1 andrear and across the" top area of the adapt" able ash-pit space and having lugs thereon and toothed grate bars' rotatably mounted on said rest lugs, eachgrate bar having a pair ofspa'ced annular collars at the shaker end for positively positioning-'thebars'in the front rate rest, while the grate rests' have formations producing re cesses extending between adjacent grate barsand' adjacent the end teeth of thej'grate' bars to act cooperatively therewith and get a shearing; action for the purpose described', said grate bars having a, central rib or' body portion with teeth or wingsdisposed thereon, the said rests and,

bars being normally of a length to fit the largest household furnace or boiler, the grate rests and-- grate bars having a pluralityof spaiced weakened places, whereby certain of the lugsvon the grate rests and teeth on the grate bars withpartslofj the central rib or body portion may beremoved when necessary, in the manner specified? herein to readily accommodate the rests and bars tofurnaces or boilersv of different sizes.

3. Means for converting, oil'rburning, furnaces or boilers, having a space adapted for an ash'pitf and into which an oil burner extended, to coal burners, said means including an ash pit composed of fire bricks on atleast two-side and one. rear wallof the adaptable ash-pitispace, grate rests mounted on said side bricks at the frontancl rear and across the top: area of the' adaptable ash-pit space and having lugs thereon. andtoothed grate bars rotatably mounted on said rest lugs, each grate. bar having a: pair of spaced. annular collars at the shaker end for positively positioning. the barsin thefront. grate-rest,- while? the grate rests have formations producingyre cesses extending between adj acent g rateabarsfand adjacent the end teeth of the grater-hereto act" cooperatively therewith: and get a-shearin'g action for the purpose; described,. thegrate ba-rsat their shaker ends being liftable to an extent from their lug seats to further assist in clearing the bars of clinkers or the like, said grate bars having a, central rib or body portion with teeth or wings disposed thereon, the said rests and bars being normally of a length to fit the largest household furnace or boiler, the grate rests and grate bars having a [plurality of spaced weakened places, whereby certain of the lugs on the grate rests and teeth on the grate bars with parts of the central rib or 'body portion may be removed when necessary in the manner specified herein to readily accommodate the rests and bars to furnaces or boilers of different sizes.

MORRIS I-I. GARFUNKLE. 

